Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich?

I didn’t realize today is National Peanut Butter Day. In honor of this holiday, I made my own peanut butter (using my Vitamix, of course. Do not try this with a regular blender or you’ll burn up the motor).

The following slide show demonstrates making one cup of fresh, all natural peanut butter. However, the process works better with two or even three cups at a time. This recipe makes two cups.

RECIPE

Fresh ground peanut butter

Ingredients:

2 cups roasted peanuts

Directions:

1. Place all peanuts into the Vitamix container.
2. Set Vitamix at Variable Speed 1 and turn on.
3. Gradually increase speed to 10 then switch to high. Run for approximately 1 minute.
4. Turn off machine and check contents. You may need to scrape the walls of the container with a spatula.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3. When the sound of the motor changes as if laboring, stop.
6. Remove the Vitamix container from the base and scrape (using a spatula) out all peanut butter into a container for storage.

Peanut butter keeps in the refrigerator for a week, although it probably won’t be around that long! After you taste fresh peanut butter, you won’t enjoy the commercial jars of peanut butter that contain additives.

I enjoy spreading the peanut butter on a toasted slice of whole grain bread. I drizzle with honey. Nutritious and yummy! Try it and see.

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Juicy News!

So much has been in the news lately about pesticides and contaminants in fruit juices, you may worry about buying/drinking any juice. But commercially made juice isn’t that nutritional, anyway. Why not make your own? It’s a win-win-win because your own juice is safer, healthier, and cheaper.

There is a catch. You need a Vitamix machine. Regular visitors to the Hasty Tasty Meals Kitchen already know how enthusiastic I am about the Vitamix, but I’ll spare you a commercial of all its benefits. For now I’ll focus on juice.

Whole foods juice includes all the fruit (except the peel in certain foods like pineapple, oranges, and bananas): membrane, seeds (except for the deadly seeds found in peaches, apricots, and apples; you’ll want to remove those), pulp, and juice. A juice extractor removes everything but the juice, which leaves you with a high sugar/low fiber product. What a waste of good food!

Here is an example. To extract enough juice for two four-ounce servings of orange juice, you’d need two or three oranges, depending on size. With the Vitamix, you use one orange and a cup of ice. That’s it! If the fruit is too tart, you may add a touch of honey or other sweetener, but that’s optional and usually unnecessary.

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Are you convinced? If so, go to Vitamix.com and place your order. Use code 06-006627 for free shipping!

2011 in review

Thanks to all who follow The Hasty Tasty Meals Kitchen.  The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,200 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

More good things coming in 2012, so stay tuned!

A New Year’s Day Soup

This recipe originally appeared in Hasty Tasty Meals in the RV (© 2006)

I created this recipe especially for my mom. She loved blackeye peas, and she loved this soup. It’s a great use-up of your turkey stock if you make it from your Christmas turkey bones. I prefer dried blackeye peas, but canned works, too.

You can make this recipe either in the pressure cooker in half an hour or slow-cook it half a day. Either way, there’s no need to presoak the blackeye peas. Make it up ahead and re-heat to serve. (Soup’s always tastier the next day!)

RECIPE

Blackeye Pea Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot grated
1 potato, cut up into 1” pieces
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
1 can blackeye peas, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups water and 1 cup dried blackeye peas― add cooking time)
1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chiles
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat the oil in a 4-quart sauce pan (I use either the Gourmet Slo-Cooker or the pressure cooker) on Medium and sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrot, potato. Sauté another 5 minutes. Add the carton of chicken broth, can of Rotel®, and can of blackeye peas (or dried peas and 2 cups water). Bring to a bubble then reduce heat.

Slow-cook method: Remove pan from burner, add bay leaf, and place on the electric base. (or pour into a Crock Pot® if you prefer) Slow-cook on a medium-low setting for 5 hours, or longer if using dried peas. Remove bayleaf, check and adjust seasonings, then serve.

~OR~

Pressure Cooker Method: Secure lid of your pressure cooker, bring to pressure and cook 15 minutes for canned blackeye peas and 30 minutes for dried blackeye peas. Remove from heat, release pressure according to your manufacturer’s instructions, then carefully open the cooker.

Check the peas for doneness. If necessary, return pot uncovered to the burner and simmer until the blackeye peas are cooked. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, then serve.

Happy new year!

The slow cooker cooks all day while you are away